Boilermakers setting wrong kind of records

An optimist would term the 2013 season a disaster for the Purdue Boilermakers. A pessimist might add an "unmitigated' to that description.

In Darrell Hazell's first season as head coach, the Boilermakers set program records for both losses and points allowed. It went winless not only in the Big Ten, but against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. Only a victory over Indiana State -- that wasn't secured until the final moments -- kept the program from going winless.

True, the Boilermakers were young. Only 15 players on the final 45-man two-deep depth chart were seniors. Nineteen freshmen saw action in 2013, including starting quarterback Danny Etling. Purdue brings back nearly all of its skill position players in 2014, and should benefit from the additional time spent with the coaching staff that also experienced growing pains in its first year on campus.

But these guys were 1-11 on merit. Aside from the 20-16 loss to Illinois on Nov. 23, every Big Ten loss was by at least 14 points. It got waxed 56-0 by Ohio State, 44-7 by Nebraska and 41-10 by Wisconsin. Arch-rival Indiana's 56 points in the finale were the most the Hoosiers have every scored against the Boilermakers. It dropped nonconference games to Cincinnati 42-7 and Northern Illinois 55-24.

Hazell takes inspiration from other coaches who struggled in their first years in the Big Ten. Kirk Ferentz went 1-10 at Iowa. Barry Alvarez went 1-10 at Wisconsin. Looking outside the conference provides other examples of coaches who overcame poor starts to build perennial winners.

"I think the thing about those guys is that they had a solid plan and they stuck to their plan," Hazell said. "They understand that things aren't always exactly the way you want it when you go into a new situation. But you're going to get it to that point where you do want it. "

With the season over, the time has come to hit the recruiting trail. Purdue only had 10 commitments at the end of the season, but Hazell can tout the possibility of early playing time and his vision for what lies ahead. Along with improvement from the current roster, Hazell is counting on an influx of talent to get the program back on the right track.

"You have to do it right away. We'll give them a little time off, but then you have to get back in the weight room and start working out," Hazell said. "(We're) making sure we're doing the right things daily. You have to get players in here that can make plays."

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NCAAF Team Report - Purdue - NOTES, QUOTES

GAME OF THE YEAR: Purdue 20, Indiana State 14 -- The Boilermakers got their only win of the season on Sept. 7 against the Sycamores, and even that victory against an FCS opponent went down to the wire. Indiana State was driving for the winning score and had the ball at the Purdue 36-yard line before Ricardo Allen ended the drama with a last-minute interception. Purdue managed just 284 yards of total offense, but was bolstered by an Akeem Hunt 99-yard return of the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: CB Ricardo Allen -- The senior didn't end his college career as he would have liked, but he gave himself a chance to continue his career at the next level by being one of the few bright spots on a struggling defense. Despite battling nagging injuries, Allen played in all 12 games, picked off six passes and was fifth on the team with 53 tackles. Moreover, his interception in the final minute against Indiana State preserved the lone Boilermaker victory of the season.

FAST FORWARD: The good part of being a 1-11 team that relies on youth is that there aren't a lot of losses to worry about. Ricardo Allen and Bruce Gaston will be the most difficult to replace, as they were leaders on the defensive side of the ball. Punter Cody Webster had a heavy workload and will also be missed. The coaching staff will be hoping for development from its younger players, and working to get freshman quarterback Danny Etling to have an increased comfort level with his wide receivers in the passing game.

RECRUITING TRAIL: Purdue's early commits have been heavily skewed towards the offensive end. The Boilermakers have a trio of wide receiver commitments in Gregory Phillips, Trae Hart and Simone Cobb. With kicker being a position of need, Austin McGehee could also see playing time early in his college career.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's a day-to-day decision where we are trying to get better at every single opportunity we can. Obviously we are not where we want to be record wise, but we'll make strides." -- Purdue coach Darrell Hazell, on where the program stands heading into the offseason.